Inverse-X
by Sapphire Midnight
Summary: A new threat, new mutants, and new love-but will it be enough? Original and old characters come together to heal, form unbreakable bonds, and maybe-just maybe-prevent catastrophe one last time. This is an AU of a story a dear friend wrote: Murphy's Child, when we were back in college. Fun, angst, and heart pounding love will find you here.


**Inverse – X**

_A Murphy's Child Alternate Universe_

A huge thanks to Donnovan and friends, for inspiring this alternate X-Men universe and creating the characters I've known and loved for many years. This is loosely based off of Donnovan's fanfiction: Murphy's Child. You'll see many similarities in her world as is with mine, along with quite a few differences. I hope you all enjoy!

_**Side note:**_ This story is for the enjoyment of myself and my dear friends, whom created the original characters you will get a chance to meet and potentially love. Yes, some will have powers similar to other X-Men characters. For the sake of fanfiction and creating new mutants, however, I ask you to just go with it and enjoy the story. I'm only posting this on the off chance someone may stumble upon it and like it and want to read more. Otherwise, this is simply for the enjoyment of myself and my close friends. Thank you for reading!

_**And So It Begins...**_

**Prelude**

"The only thing worse than moving to a new city, is looking for a new job," Cassandra bemoaned, clutching a rather tall cup of coffee in one hand and her head of dark, curly hair in the other. Amethyst eyes opens to look balefully at her two long-time friends sitting around the circular cafe table with her. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and they chose to enjoy the warm weather while they still could, each sporting their own precious cups of coffee in hand.

One woman, quite native-looking in appearance with her straight, ebony hair and warm copper skin—was only half paying attention. Her gaze was riveted to the robin perched atop her shoulder staring inquisitively back at her. Pulling a pumpkin seed off her muffin, the woman offered it to her new feathered friend.

"I'll agree with you on that," She murmured absentmindedly. Her vivid green eyes sparkled with delight when the bird accepted the peace offering and flew up into a nearby tree to enjoy it. "At least the birds are friendly, here."

A soft laugh came from their third companion, humor swimming in two silver-blue eyes as she turned to her animal-loving friend. "Come on, Sam. Be reasonable. _All _animals love you."

With a teasing head shake, Zephyr absentmindedly tossed her unique dusky blue hair thickly tipped in white over one shoulder as she bent over the mall ads spread on the table before her.

"Though I have to admit, looking for work at a shopping center is _not _my first choice. At least you two have stunning letters of recommendation to back you up. If any future employer of mine so much as looks into my previous job, or makes _one _little phone call-" Silvery eyes rose to glace at first Cass, then Sam. "Ix-nay on the Ephyr-zay." Making a face, she drew a finger along the column of her throat for fair measure.

This time it was Cassandra's turn to scoff. "Um. Hello. The person who literally 'disappeared' at work? Yeah. Not a good thing. At least my supervisors just thought I was being lazy, and it didn't raise too much suspicion. But still! I think accidentally disappearing when trying to speed through your work beats having blue hair."

"Pretty blue hair," Sam was quick to reassure, mind returning to the topic at hand and not on the wildlife surrounding them.

"Okay," Zephyr assented. "At least I never accidentally pulled a disappearing act." Turning to Sam when she was about to open her mouth to intercede, Zeph beat her to it. _"Or _accidentally sic police dogs on a man at a court hearing."

_That _was a complete understatement in retrospect, but the scene had been pretty funny after the fact. Cassandra and Zephyr had gone to Sam's first, official open court hearing she had been working on concerning cruelty to animals. The man being charged with neglect, malnourishment, and physically harming his dog had almost been taken down by two police dogs whom happened to be in the building at the time. Apparently Sam's rage at the man for nearly getting off with a simple fine—and continued ownership of his dog—was enough to set them all off the edge. Thankfully no one had really gotten hurt—though the perpetrator was later jailed for harming an officer of law and his dog.

Zephyr continued, "You both have to admit there are only so many _good _careers out there that allow for their employees to have _blue hair."_

That was the crux of the matter. No matter how smart, kind, helpful, or confident Zephyr seemed in her interviews, there was always the matter of her hair. It wouldn't hold color. Couldn't be bleached. It was a thing in and of itself, and if Zephyr wanted a job that paid a decent salary... there wasn't much she could do unless she went into the fashion industry, and fashion just wasn't her thing.

"Maybe I need to invest in some wigs."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"You wouldn't be our Zeph without your blue hair. Besides. Those employers are stupid if they pass up on a chance to hire you."

"Sam's right," Cass was quick to agree, nodding in accord. "You'll find something. We all will! So let's stop worrying about the past and do our best with the future!"

"I'll drink to that!" Grinning widely, Samantha lifted her paper coffee cup into the air. She wasn't disappointed when her two friends returned the grin and lifted their own cups toward the center of their table. "To friendship, finding new _amazing _jobs that will love us for who we are, and a bright future in this new city! Cheers!"

"Hear, hear!" Cassandra bellowed, clashing her coffee cup enthusiastically against her two friends'.

"Cheers!" Zephyr laughed, tapping her cup against first Sam's, then Cassandra's coffee. She was a little reluctant to admit it, but this city and these friends brought her a surprisingly strong sense of hope.

"Now." Cass stood abruptly from her seat, back straight and expression mock-serious. "Divide and conquer!"

"Professor Xavier. I still say we can't trust her! I don't understand why you continue to allow her to use cerebro!" Scowling down at the founder of the Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Scott crossed his arms and set his stance, making sure Charles knew exactly what he was thinking of the certain frosty Queen bee that had been—quite awkwardly—the main reason the Institute hadn't completely shut down while Charles had been away. Apparently alternate dimensions and time travel weren't always what you hoped it would be. Charles Xavier was back now, though, the world was once again saved from untold disaster, and Scott _refused _to work with the woman he'd been forced to work with any longer than he already had now that the Professor was back home.

"I hate to say it, Professor," came a low, gravely voice from the figure lounging comfortably in the open doorway, "But One Eye is right. We can't trust her. Even _you _can't see everything in that head of hers. What if she's playing for a different team? I say we get rid of her before she turns on us, and brainwashes every kid in this school."

A tired, nearly defeated sigh can from the man seated in the wheelchair behind his desk. With a slow, sad shake of his head, Professor Xavier motioned his eavesdropper to come in and close the door.

"Scott, I understand your reservations, but Emma is an addition to the family now, and she is not someone I am willing to kick out of the institute without good reason."

"There _is-"_

"Without a reason we are able to produce evidence to," Charles clarified, holding up one hand to prevent further protest. Turning to the man closing the door, he stated, "Logan, do you really think that is the correct path for us to take? You know more than anyone what her past cost her. Out of everyone in this Institute, I thought maybe you would understand. There is something within Emma that is very similar to what I have always found in you. The need to prove yourself. The need to clean up past mistakes. You are a fierce fighter, Logan. Emma has that very same fire within her. While it can be used as a tool for destruction, I hope to curb such powers to use them for the good of all. Not just mutants. Not just humans. For all of us."

"Oh, yeah? And what makes you think she won't _turn on us,_ Charles? What makes you believe she'll fight for _our _side?"

"Wolverine." There was bite behind the Professor's tone, but his expression softened. He knew of Wolverine's dark past. He understood his strong need to fight, and to protect, even if he didn't agree with the man's methods all the time. "All of us are different, Wolverine. You and Scott may make choices I would not have made. _I _may make choices you two do not understand, or agree with. We all must live by those choices, and learn from them. Emma is still in the learning stage. With the correct support, she could become our _greatest _ally."

Scoffing, Wolverine turns his head to the side, fists clenched at his sides. "Or our biggest threat."

Sending a stern look in Scott's direction, Xavier has to keep from smiling when the man raises his brows and jerks his thumb in Logan's direction.

"What? I'm on _his _side." Sending a baleful look in Logan's direction, he adds, "for once."

Slowly beaming in the Professor's direction, Logan suddenly looks mighty pleased with himself. "You see, Charles? It's to the Institute's greatest benefit that Emma gets the boot. Even One Eye here agrees with me."

Crossing his arms, Scott sends Logan an unimpressed frown. _"Don't_ get used to it."

A cheeky grin is his answer. "Wouldn't _dream _of it."

"You wanna go, Wolverine?" Scott's hand rises up to his visor.

"You bet I do, pretty boy."

Charles had had enough._"Both _of you! Stop it."

_**'Professor?! Scott! Logan! There's been an attack—by mutants! There are so many of them, and they're attacking their own kind. I don't understand!'**_

"_Emma..." _Xavier reached out to her mentally, calming his mind and speaking aloud for Scott and Wolverine's benefit. _"Where are you Emma? What attack?"_

_**'I just left cerebro. There were so many voices. So many words. I didn't understand it! All I know is that mutants are attacking other mutants **_**right now, ****_and we have to stop it! They're at a shopping center in the city limits. It's turning into a blood bath!'_**

"_Scott, Emma, I want you both to take the jet. Logan, you go with them. I just notified Rogue, Piotr, and Kitty about the basics. They're suiting up and are on their way."_

"On it, Professor." Not a moment later, Scott was racing out the door. Logan paused, staring down at the Professor with one last foreboding look. Clenching his fists, Wolvering's claws shot out in one final warning before he turned and followed.

_'Emma... they're all on their way.'_

Now if only Charles could get the images of both Scott and Logan's matching frowns out of his mind's eye.

_**'I only hope we'll all be enough, Professor.' **_

_'You'll have to be.' _And then, because he knew she picked up on hints of their conversation: _'Emma. About Scott and Logan...'_

_**'Don't worry, Charles. I know exactly where I stand with those two. It isn't as if they try to keep their thoughts hidden.'**_

_'They'll come around.'_

A humorless, feminine laugh resounds in Xavier's head in response to that.

_**'You can't teach an old dog new tricks, Charles. Wolverine's as old as they get. And Scott... Scott likes to listen to himself think. He's acting like a dramatic little **_**boy ****_in the midst of a temper tantrum. And they say _I'm _the snob. _He's _the one with the stick up his-"_**

_'Emma. The attack?' _Charles was already rubbing the pads of his fingers along his temples. He certainly hoped not _all _Scott and Emma's missions would be like this one.

_**'Right. I'll up-date you when I have a better idea of what's going on. Over and out, Professor.'**_

"Over and out, Emma," he breathed, eyes closing and mind focusing on the vibrant life of the students living at the school. Something big was going on. Something sinister had been slowly brewing for quite some time now, and Charles was afraid it was about to boil over.

"We've come so far. Been through so much." His head and heart ached, from the memories of everything his friends and comrades had been through. Things his young _students _had been through. And now, one more thing to add to the growing turmoil. Mutant against mutant. Brothers and sisters against one another. Once again the X-Men would have to fight other mutants in their war for peace. Why was there always so much war before peace?

"Are you behind this, Erik?" It was times like these, when Charles wondered about his old friend's sinister plans, that he felt his oldest and most frail. "Is this your doing, old friend?"

It wouldn't be long before Xavier had his answer.

Whether he was ready or not.

_A.N.: Well, here's a tiny prelude to what you'll see, and what might be going down very quickly here! Lots of action an interactions in the next chapter! Can't wait!_


End file.
